The race was down to four competitors, unlike the American League in which Justin Verlander took home the AL Cy Young in a unanimous decision.

Roy Halladay, Clayton Kershaw, Cliff Lee and Ian Kennedy all have had seasons to make a unanimous decision impossible. Only one of those four men was going to be named the 2011 NL Cy Young Award winner.

That man was Kershaw.

Kershaw got 27 first place votes, good for 207 points. Halladay finished in second with 133 points (four 1st place votes) and Lee came in third with 90 points (no first place votes). Kennedy got the other first place vote, finishing in fourth.

Kershaw won the pitching Triple Crown, the first to do that since Jake Peavy in 2007. Ironically, Peavy also won the Cy Young that year.

Kershaw was 21-5 with a 2.28 ERA and 248 strike outs. He also had an incredible 0.98 WHIP which was also best in the majors.

Last year’s winner, Halladay, went 19-6 with a 2.35 ERA. Teammate Cliff Lee had a similarly incredible season, going 17-8 with a 2.40 ERA, boosted by an incredible June and August.

Arizona’s Kennedy tied Kershaw for the league lead in wins but had a significantly lower ERA and strike out total to the other pitchers. Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels (14-9, 2.79 ERA, 0.99 WHIP) finished in 5th, giving the Phills three starters in the top five.

Cliff Lee pitched a helluva lot better than the line score really showed.

Despite a few hard-hit balls, Lee was money against the Diamondbacks. Too bad his offense wasn’t there to back him up.

The Diamondbacks snapped the Phillies five-game winning streak with a 4-0 win Monday night in Arizona. It was the 14th game the Phils failed to score more than four runs, dropping to 9-5 in that span.

Two home runs that equated three runs were the only real blemishes on Lee’s night. The left-hander went seven innings allowing four runs on five hits and a walk while striking out 12.

Arizona got home runs from Chris Young, a two-run blast in the third, and a solo homer from Gerardo Parra.

Lee’s opponent Ian Kennedy had an easy night against the Phils. Kennedy went the distance, striking out 10 and allowing only three hits in outing. He retired the last 11 batters he faced for his first career complete game.

The Phillies managed only three hits on the night. Two of those hits came from a streaking Placido Polanco, who is now batting .376 on the season.

Michael Stutes replaced Lee to pitch the eighth. It was the 24-year-old’s major league debut as he retired the D’Backs in order, striking out one.